Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic ZS70

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic ZS70, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap among the resolutions of the E-30 (12MP) and ZS70 (20MP) and the E-30 (Four Thirds) and ZS70 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-30 was announced 9 years prior to the ZS70 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS70 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-30 scores versus the ZS70 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-30 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Panasonic ZS70 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-30 offers outer dimensions of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") having a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS70 has proportions of 112mm x 67mm x 41mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") having a weight of 322 grams (0.71 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic ZS70 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the E-30 against the ZS70.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and ZS70 is 60 and 87 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to envision the difference in sensor measurements just by seeing specifications. The visual underneath should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-30 and ZS70.

To sum up, both of those cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-30 with its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic ZS70 will provide greater detail with its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The older E-30 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.